NEIGHBORHOOD

HK$1000 per person

LG/F, 61-63 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong TEL: +852 2617 0891

www.facebook.com/neighborhoodhk Neighborhood, opened by local chef David Lai, is the worst kept secret in the Hong Kong culinary world. The entrance is out of the way; there is little marketing or PR; yet any Hong Kong resident worth their Himalayan pink salt would know of this little gem. True, you don’t go for the ambiance, as the closely set tables means that oftentimes the dining room gets raucous. You don’t go for the wine list either, which is on the small size—regulars know to BYOB, with HK$250 corkage charged per bottle. The calling card to this restaurant is its consistently well-executed dishes, pure and simple. Whether you pre-order the Galician steak (which was on the menu well before the current craze for the Spanish import swept the town); or indulge in the handmade pastas, the food here just simply never disappoints. Make sure to pre-order salt-baked local chicken, which sits atop aromatic morel mushrooms and perfectly crisped rice, and opt for the garganelli pasta with pork and octopus ragu—it’s a clever take on a classic Cantonese flavour combination. Save room for dessert, as the caneles and the chocolate tart is a winning combination that has yet to meet its match.